Paris Las Vegas - December 11, 2011

AA-29



Although Barry didn't really didn't do a lot of extra/different songs to end the Paris run (the way he did at the Hilton), this was still a fabulous show. We did get to hear a couple of different songs performed. And Barry and crew gave it their all.

Taking a step back to really look at all this, from a more cerebral point of view, I guess you could say this was an interesting experience. Of course, cerebral is definitely NOT where I was on Sunday night. I've never felt anything like this in my life. For most of the day I was fine, but as the time approached to leave the hotel for the show, my stomach started doing flip flops. It was a combination of what you feel when you're really scared about something and when you've lost someone important to you. When I walked into the Paris and rounded the corner where I could see the theater doors, my heart started pounding so hard I could barely breathe for a few minutes. Bernice walked out of the merchandise area long enough to give me a hug - I almost lost it. Recovered, walked into the show room. Intellect kicked in long enough for me to think that I had lost my mind for feeling all these things. But then I started encountering people I knew, all saying the same things about what they were feeling, all on the verge of tears themselves. In fact, at least among the fans that I knew, there were very, very few dry eyes by the time the show started.

Barry was able to change that, at least for portions of the show. There were moments, of course, when the tears came back. We kind of went back and forth, depending on the song and also depending on what we were seeing in Barry. As far as I'm concerned, Barry was as emotional about this as we were. It was in his eyes. Honestly, watching him go through this show really had to make you love him more. He was being the master showman that he's so good at being. He was working as hard as he could to keep us upbeat, while at the same time making us "feel" the songs. He did a fantastic job of balancing those two things, almost to the point of perfection. And if I'm at all accurate in what I was seeing, he was doing that while having to struggle with the feelings himself. He deserves an ovation just for being able to do that.

Usually when the show intro starts, people don't start standing until the I Write the Songs fanfare starts. But tonight they were on their feet the minute the curtain opened. And like the night before, the audience response as Barry took the stage was deafening.

Barry's eyes were glistening again as he sang Could It Be Magic. The opening lyrics seemed very heartfelt tonight, and they seemed to be directed to the fans. As Barry moved further into the song, he and the backups all seemed to be putting a little extra into it. Somehow the song seemed more upbeat. And for the first time since Barry has been at the Paris, I decided to try to take a photo when Barry yells, "Hold on!!".

The audience was even louder as Barry finished the song. He got a very loud, very long ovation. It looked like Barry was just soaking it in.

Daybreak didn't seem to take on any special tone tonight. It was just upbeat. Barry has been doing a cute little skipping/dancing move as he walks to the right side of the stage. He did it again tonight. I had to smile - it's such a classic Manilow move.

The audience let Barry get through the beginning of Somewhere in the Night this time - so we were back to the romance of the song. And Barry sang those first lines very romantically. And then he gave us that look - that one where he just uses his eyes. And the squeals started. Good grief! How can he do this to us night after night with only a look? I love it! And everyone else does, too! I rarely lift the camera when he starts getting sexy with us at the end of the song, but I did tonight.

I actually do remember Looks Like We Made It from tonight's show. Barry, of course, gave us the wide-eyed look with the growling voice. And, as always, the song got loud applause from the audience as Barry started singing. Barry really gestured to us as he sang those new lyrics (not so new, now, I guess - whatever). He threw in just a tiny bit of swiveling hips - probably not noticeable at all to the civilians in the audience. But the fans all picked up on it.

Can't Smile Without You was very loud. The audience was loud enough that I could hear individual voices. I think the audience was truly trying to tell Barry that we can't smile without him. And we can't! It's not a lie!

For the ballad segment, Barry asked for an A-flat. I wanted to raise my hand and yell, "Ooh, pick me - I know the answer! It's I Made It Through the Rain!" Ha! I don't know if these notes that Barry is asking for are just the beginning notes to the song, or if it means that's the key the song is in - and I don't guess it matters which for the purpose of the review. But I've found it very interesting that we're getting those little tidbits of information.

I have to give Barry credit for my deciding to take a music course this semester. (I made an "A"!) It was being able to see Barry's interest in music - not just being able to listen to music - but being able to see what it means to Barry, and to the band members, as well... That's what made me interested. I've always loved music - was interested in being a music major but decided against it for several reasons. But there's no music in my day-to-day life - so I never really considered studying it. But Barry uncovered the interest I'd been hiding - and I'm glad he did.

Anyway, Barry did an excellent version of IMITTR.

Brooklyn Blues had the same tone that it's had for every show this week. I've been trying to come up with alternate ways to describe what I was seeing - but all I can come up with is that the song has been more serious. I did realize, though, that Barry seemed to connect a little more as he sang the lyric about "dreams are on the other side". Every night he has turned to the audience to sing those lines. He seemed to be trying to convey a message as he sang.

The long note... Oh, my... That is absolutely the longest he has ever held that note. It was incredible! Wow! I wish I could read lips better - it looked like Barry might have been telling the backups that he didn't know how he managed to hold the note that long! Ha! It was really very special. Barry got an ovation, of course.

I felt a different tone from I Am Your Child tonight. Or maybe it was me. At any rate, it didn't seem sad. And while Barry appeared to be emphasizing the same parts of the song that he has been emphasizing all week, everything seemed to lighten up. I was particularly impressed by the beauty of the performance. The music, the way Barry played the keyboard, the expression on Barry's face as he played - it felt like a special performance. And Barry's vocals were beautiful, too.

Nature Boy also felt special. As baby Barry sang, our Barry used facial expressions to emphasize. The performance was almost like it used to be at the beginning of the Paris run - not quite as animated, but definitely more than it has been for the last few weeks. When our Barry started singing, it looked like he was living the words. Especially when he stood up from the keyboard and walked to center stage. It was extremely touching as he sang those closing lines about "love and be loved". His gestures and facial expressions, and mostly his eyes, said it all. I know the photo of baby Barry that drops down is supposed to grab your attention to go along with the theme of the entire Grandpa Joe segment, but I found I really had no interest in looking at it tonight. I just wanted to watch our Barry.

I took no photos during This One's For You - didn't want to ruin the moment. Barry really, really connected with the first two verses. It was magical. I expected to choke up during this song. But it was so magical while he was connecting with the audience that I didn't. It felt like he was singing to all of us tonight. I think that's why I didn't get teary eyed - I just sat there watching him, feeling like I was watching something very special, feeling like Barry was dedicating the song to us. As Barry moved into the third verse, it got a little more emotional. Barry looked away from us, looked off into the distance. The line about "miss me too" really did take on extra meaning tonight. As Barry finished out the song at the front of the stage, he seemed to be using more gestures and more body language to sell the song. I don't like that terminology - "sell the song" - this time. This felt very real, not at all like a performance. It was an emotional ending. I think we all needed a big group hug with Barry in the middle at that moment.

All this week it has taken me a moment to break away from the feeling of TOFY and get into the feeling for New York City Rhythm. Tonight I looked up just in time to see the girls take the stage. It looked like they entered late and had to run a little to get to their proper place on stage. Then Barry came out - it appeared he was still a little in the TOFY mode, too. Since they started this routine, all 3 girls have been walking over to him as he sings about liking the girls and the music - and the girls all usually strike glamorous poses. But tonight Keely pretended to be giving him a kiss on the cheek while Melanie looked at him adoringly. Don't we all wish we could do that?! Well, I guess we do all look at him adoringly - we just don't get to hold on to his arm while we do it!

As Barry started playing his piano solo, Keely and Melanie did something I've never seen them do before. And I'm having a heck of a time describing it. But... Normally, all the backups are dancing in the background as Barry plays his solo - Muffy and Keely are on one side of the stage, Melanie and Kye on the other. But tonight, Keely and Melanie faced each other and bowed down all the way to the ground. I've never seen them do that before.

Barry had a much more serious expression on his face when he flashed us with his jacket for the last time - no funny faces. Maybe he was thinking, "Thank goodness I'll never have to do this again!"

And he played air piano for us one last time.

And then Barry yelled, "It's time for Christmas!" Yay! I love Christmas!

Barry and Kye were adorable during Santa Claus is Coming to Town. When they started their dance routine, Barry said, "Look, I'm dancing". He's been saying that all week. But tonight he added, "With my lousy hips".

Barry really seemed to enjoy the snow falling during White Christmas tonight. At least, that's what his facial expression showed. It's a neat effect - the audience seems to love it. For some reason, it just feels magical, too - even after 5 shows, that's how it feels.

Tonight was the best Rudolph performance of the week. Both Keely and Kye went the extra mile with their parts. Tonight when Keely sang the line "Like Monopoly" she acted like she was rolling the dice. And Kye went higher with his funny Santa voice than he ever has before. I'm surprised he didn't hurt himself. I only got a couple of shots of it because I started laughing so hard I couldn't take photos. Barry even got into the "yippee" portion of the song - and he doesn't even really sing then (it's mainly Keely and Kye at that point) - but he kicked a boot up into the air as Keely and Kye were singing.

Kye played it up even more tonight as he danced with the stool. After Barry made him put it down, it looked like Kye was promising the stool that he would come back to get it later. Ha! And I'm not sure what transpired between Barry and Keely, but it got her laughing.

Christmas Is Just Around the Corner was back in the show. Yay! My favorite of all! Well, okay, one of my top 3 favorites of all. I don't have to make a choice because all 3 favorites were in the show! And as much as I love that song and everything about it, from tonight's performance the best part of all was after it was over, when Barry threw back his head, and proclaimed, "I love it! It's so catchy!" He's right!! It's a wonderful song!

I didn't take any photos during The Christmas Song. I couldn't. This was one of the times during the show when I actually did get choked up. Not sure why this particular moment did it to me, but it did. And there were tears. It felt very special the way Barry gestured toward the audience and sang "Merry Christmas to you".

So, I was still struggling as Barry started Because It's Christmas. I didn't get any photos at all as he was sitting at the piano and singing - just too emotional. Barry started the song a little differently. He still said, "Christmas is for the children" - but tonight he said it differently. This time he said, "Christmas is for..." and then he looked down at the piano keys and very softly said, "the children." Kind of like the way during the Grandpa Joe segment, even though Barry says he thinks of Grandpa, it frequently feels like he's thinking of something else. This was the same, Barry said "children" but you got the impression there was more to it than that.

Barry was really connecting with the audience again during Because It's Christmas. Just like with TOFY, that was needed. It makes a special song all the more special. I took my tiny point and shoot camera to try to get photos with all the kids this time. I think I got everyone in at least one photo. I'm not going to post those in this review, but I'll put them up on my personal site. The quality isn't great, of course, but it's better than nothing.

No doubt that Russ and David had changed up their drum routines a little to open the Bandstand segment. David especially did - he did a lot of playing on the cymbals. Never saw him do that before. As Barry entered the stage, he pretended to dive into the audience again. That was especially fun since I was sitting dead center and he looked like he was going to dive right into the middle of the front row. I would have caught him!

Apparently Kye and Keely are trying to prove that their legs aren't actually attached to their bodies. This hurts me just looking at it!

Barry twisted again - really twisted. I guess he must have figured since he was having surgery the next morning, why not? I couldn't decide whether to smile or to cringe as I was watching him! He was smiling, though.

And then he decided to give us a few little hip bumps!

I missed a great shot because my camera was still trying to catch up recording the shots I took as Keely pulled Barry to the back of the stage. After they got to the spot just beyond where the curtain comes down, all the backups ran toward Barry and gathered around him - and Keely was starting to give him a hug as the curtain went down. Would have been a great shot.

And that's where the depression started setting in because then it was time for Mandy. I'm sure some day this will be comical, but it wasn't at that moment. As the Midnight Special video was playing, I noticed the people around me were all reaching for their purses. They were pulling out Kleenex to be ready for the end of the show. I brought them, but I didn't pull mine out. I was afraid if I did I would be giving myself a message that it was okay to use them. And I was determined that I wasn't going to cry in front of everyone.

I was disappointed in my shots trying to capture the golden glow around Barry. But not disappointed in this one. Barry performed the beginning of the song with the sweetest smile on his face.

And then as he sang, his expression changed. You could watch him crawl into the song, feel what he was feeling just by looking at the expression on his face. When he got to the part about "the pain is calling", it could have ripped out your heart.

And it didn't stop there. As Barry moved into the Could It Be Magic part, he sang with everything he had. You could really feel that, too. I can feel it now just thinking about it.

I Write the Songs was very emotional. Very. Lower lip trembling. Had to bite it more than once. Barry's eyes didn't look focused on anything at all during the song. He had his head turned toward the audience, but his gaze didn't seem to lock onto anything. Probably a smart idea on his part. Everyone was reaching for the Kleenex they had pulled out before Mandy.

Barry came back out for Copa. And he was trying to keep things upbeat. He was very animated. He exaggerated the lyrics. Made funny faces. Even did the "ah, sex" bit with a funny face. But I couldn't take a photo - all I could do was watch him. I was smiling, though. He was able to pull me back from the edge. He was very cute as he went down through the trapdoor. And even more cute when he came back up. He gave us his best "I'm fabulous" look - in fact, off mic he said something like "Do I look good?" (darn, I wish I had learned to read lips!) And yes, Barry, you look good - you look fabulous!

One last time he gave us his "step". His eyes were sparkling. That kind of got to me. It was another classic Manilow moment.

And then those words "The End" flashed across the screen behind Barry. That moment got to all of us. Barry motioned toward us, sang "We fell in love", and then struck his classic Manilow ending note pose. It was bittersweet. It was kind of hard to take, to have Barry acknowledge us all with "we fell in love" and then see the words "The End" appear behind him.

Barry walked off the stage then. And I could hear more and more sniffles in the audience.

The ending of the show was... Well, it was different. When Barry walked back out onto the stage after Copa, he just stood there looking at us. I didn't take any photos of those moments at all - I couldn't. That moment was for me. There were times during the show when I "worked" to capture the moments. There were other times I "worked" just to keep myself from crying. But not this time. Although I've spent hours documenting these shows over most of the past 7 years, my reason for being here hasn't been to take photos or write about the shows - my reason for being here was Barry Manilow. So, this moment was for me - I may have to rely on my memory for it - but I didn't want to waste a second of it looking through the viewfinder of a camera.

My memory of what Barry actually said after that is pretty fuzzy. Too much emotion. In fact, the only thing I really remember is when he thanked those who had been to many of the shows in Las Vegas over the past 7 years. He even went so far as to gesture toward the front row. There were a lot of us sitting there - I guess we must have all used the "buy it now" option on frontrowmanilow as soon as we heard Barry was leaving. I know I did. We were all sitting side by side. Kind of funny, actually, when I think about it.

Then he sang Where Does the Time Go. I struggled through that one. I never saw Barry look into the audience during that song - if he ever did, then I missed it while I was trying to choke back sobs. He seemed to keep his eyes turned upward and toward the back of the theater. Probably a good thing, because if he had looked at us, and especially if there had been tears in his eyes, I think the entire front row would have lost it. As it was, there were plenty of Kleenex being used! Again, my memory is very fuzzy. I listened to the first few lines of the song and then I had to tune everything out. I was watching Barry, but my memory isn't clear at all - just a vague recollection of him standing there with his eyes averted. When I pulled the photos off my camera, I saw that I had taken a series of shots. I have no memory of doing that at all.

Barry sang Here's To Las Vegas next. And again, I have virtually no memory of it - not of Barry's performance. The only thing I remember is when he sang the line "we're here to stay" - that hit me like a ton of bricks. My mind was thinking, "Why are you even singing that?" - but at the same time my heart literally leapt for joy - and then my mind took back over saying "IT'S OVER". And then I went back into "work" mode. I saw a big Manilow-in-lights sign drop down from the ceiling - when the lights were turned on I started taking photos. Don't remember anything else about it.

Barry started introducing people who had been involved with the show. He started with his own backups and band. And then started introducing everyone else - from people who worked in the background, to Paris employees, Stiletto employees, showroom ushers, and the wives and kids of people who have been involved. He finished by bringing out people like Garry and Marc. They all stood together at the back of the stage. And then Barry asked everyone to join him in three rounds of "Hip...Hip...Hooray". We all did. I'm honestly not sure why - I guess because he asked. Maybe it was intended as kudos to everyone who had worked so hard on the show. In that case, it was well deserved.

And then the curtain came down, very quickly. It was very abrupt. And it was kind of shocking. But, I think it was definitely less emotional this way. I don't know - maybe that was the purpose of it. Well, okay... I've spent 7 years being honest with these reviews - I'm not going to do anything less now. And if Barry should ever read this, I love him to pieces - always will. (and this ending certainly didn't affect my enjoyment of the final show)

But...

The way the curtain went down like that really kind of shook me - I was having a hard time believing that the curtain just dropped with no music, just silence. I couldn't believe that Barry didn't step forward to say goodbye to us. Now, my logical mind can think of a million reasons why it ended that way, everything from it being too emotional for Barry, all the way to it possibly being a logistical nightmare to try to do anything else when there were that many people on the stage. And by the time 24 hours had rolled around, I was over it. But at the time it bothered me a little. A few days later someone posted a video on YouTube of those final moments. It didn't seem nearly as abrupt when I watched the video. I guess it must have just had something to do with the emotion of everything, the uncertainty of what was coming next. And let's not forget, Barry's upcoming surgery was on everyone's mind.

Anyway, within moments of the curtain coming down for the last time, the tears started rolling down my face. And it wasn't just because the show was over. It was because the show was over AND I felt like I didn't get to say goodbye to Barry. Yeah, pretty crazy, I know. But that's what I was feeling. And I've always said that one of the reasons I write these reviews is to document my Manilow "ride". So, it's all documented. And, Barry definitely made us "FEEL"...

The tears only lasted a few minutes, though. I'm pretty good at shutting down emotions in most cases. Barry is the only one who can manage to break through (well, animals can) - but he wasn't on stage anymore - so I started turning everything off and got it under control pretty quickly.

Actually, no one seemed to completely break down. There were a lot of tears, a lot of hugs, but no total breakdowns that I saw. (maybe there was a method to the madness of the way the show ended) So many people have since made the comment about being "emotionally drained". Yep, that's a perfect description. That's how I felt - I still feel it. I think the knowledge and concern for Barry's surgery on the following day added to that effect. When they finally told us that his surgery had went well, it felt like a weight had been lifted. Like I said, this was an interesting experience. In a way, sounds really crazy. Yet, there were too many of us going through exactly the same thing for it to be all that crazy.

When I started writing this, Post-Manilow depression (PMD) really hadn't set in for me. There was a longing to see Barry again, but there wasn't that feeling (or fear) that I never will - not like there was before I saw these last shows. Maybe it had something to do with feeling emotionally drained. Or maybe (and more likely) it hadn't hit me yet because I started shutting everything down the minute the show was over. But the more I wrote, the more I started feeling it. And now, I just need to see Barry again! Yeah, that's about right - 48 hours and I'm jonesing for Manilow!

I still have no definite plans to see the shows announced so far for 2012. That could change on a moment's notice - but at this particular point in time, there's nothing definite. I'm still going back and forth - one minute I tell myself I have to go, the next I tell myself that it's crazy to go. I know if the right venue were announced I would jump on it. And I may end up going to everything that's been announced! (well, not the UK - can't afford that - especially not if I do Chicago and NY) I just don't know yet. I do know if this PMD keeps building at the rate it has been for the last five hours, I'm going to be willing to weather anything to get to see Barry again!

Oh, who am I kidding? We all know I'm going to do everything humanly possible to go to as many shows as I can. At least as long as I can still walk away with that special feeling, as long as I can still feel Barry's energy. I think that's probably my biggest fear of what's coming next - will I still be able to feel that energy from the stage?

This has been a fantastic ride. Before this last week, I really had a fear it was coming to an end for me - maybe not so much anymore. I'm still a little apprehensive because I don't want to lose that close sensation that Vegas created - that would be very, very disappointing to me. But I'm hopeful... And if I do get to see Barry again, you can be sure I'm going to write a review!

Thank you to Barry, Keely Vasquez, Kye Brackett, Muffy Hendrix, Melanie Nyema, Melanie Taylor, Monica Pege, Ron Walters Jr, Ron Pedley, David Rozenblatt, Mike Lent, Russ McKinnon, Stan Sargeant, Ian Martin, Stephen Baxter, Chris Gray, Brandon Fields, George Shelby and Joey Melotti for all the hard work you guys put into this show for us. It's very much appreciated. And I hope to see most of you again Somewhere Down the Road. (thank goodness Barry didn't sing that song!!!!)

We love you, Barry - get well!

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